Zapping Goal! Football club Ligue 1: the top 20 salaries for the 2020-2021 season
“French football is in a very delicate situation and ASSE is no exception. On this summer Mercato, we will have to be smart. We already knew that most of the Mercato will be done internally, by propelling young people to the fore. It will be necessary to promote some of them, lend others so that they get tough (I’m thinking of Benkhedim in particular).
Yes, Saint-Etienne will have to sell. But if we want to capitalize on the difficult year and the experience generated, we must not shed too many young people either. Mahdi Camara has just recovered the captain’s armband. It would be complicated, for example, to separate from him. It would be a bad signal to the locker room. To choose, I would keep the team in place. Now we must be aware that this is a utopian vision.
“In the best of cases, Saint-Etienne finds a taker on the high salaries”
In the best case, Saint-Etienne finds a taker on the big salaries which he wanted to part with last season: Ryad Boudebouz, Wahbi Khazri … Even if the Tunisian was a preponderant element in the maintenance and that he marked beautiful goals. For them, as for neo-tauliers like Mahdi Camara, the choices will be dictated by demand anyway. Clubs will have to be interested and ready to make offers.
What I especially hope is that the Saint-Etienne management does not let itself be intoxicated by the emergence of certain young people by once again giving up the family jewels to restore their financial health. Behind, even if there are young people who grow and professional contracts signed, nothing says that they will be up to those in place. I just hope that there will be a good “mix” between departures of old and young.
Last year, a dilemma arose with Wesley Fofana and Denis Bouanga. If the second – who was courted after a good season – eventually stuck, the first was sold to Leicester City for a large sum of money. Today, we are still talking about a sale of the Gabonese, who comes out of a more delicate season, and it is Lucas Gourna-Douath who took the place of the Saint-Etienne promise with high market value. What to do this summer for both? If there is a choice to be made, we must keep the young person.
“For Denis Bouanga, everything will first depend on him”
Gourna is the future. If the talent and the potential are there, he has not yet had time to prove consistency. After the departures of Saliba and Fofana, you have to stop. Yes, Gourna arguably represents the club’s best market value today, but nothing says it will be lower in a year or two. We have to let it flourish in Ligue 1 by being one of the essential engines of the team. Unless there is a fantastic offer (which I do not see coming due to the context), everything must be done to keep it. After Saliba and Fofana, Saint-Etienne cannot continue to play with fire.
For Denis Bouanga, everything will depend first of all on him. He comes out of an average season but remains an interesting player for Saint-Etienne. If he no longer has his head at ASSE, then he must be let go. If he still feels involved in the project and revenge after his 2020-21 season, it is absolutely necessary to keep him. After, if a serious offer falls and allows Saint-Etienne to get back into the nails, the discussion will not exist. Even if Denis Bouanga evolves to a position where Saint-Etienne does not have 50 solutions either (and even more if Romain Hamouma does not extend). ASSE still need some offensive assets for next season and Bouanga can be one if he stays. “
The ASSE chronicle by Denis Balbir
Every Monday, Denis Balbir deciphers the news from ASSE. Focus this week on the Mercato and the sales policy to be followed.
